Tow bar



A. Loses TOW BAR me, ay s. 192s nontoz Albert Loebg 'whereby a 'vehicle UNITED STATES i A 1,654,959v

PATENT OFFICE.

ppuuon ma ny V`s, invention *provides a device may be drawn or backed negotiating traie in a thereby .obviating the The present as required when congested section,

`l usual towfline'whlch does not admit of the on the driver of the towing vehicle having full con'- trol of the vehicle being towed.v

Moreover, the invention provides a. device which is eldable both when pulling and backing, ereby obviating the jerks incident to the use of tow lines which cause the same to snap and break.

While the drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention it is to understood that in adapting the means to meetspecic needs and requirements, the designmay be varied and such other changes in the minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the invention as claimed, without departing from the spirit thereof.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and the drawings hereto attached in which Figure 1 is a side view of a tow bar embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view thereof,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view line 3 3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, and l Y Figure l4 is'a detail sectional view on the line 4-'4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Correspondingand like parts are referred` to in the "following description and designated in the several views of the drawings byV like reference characters.

The device comprises a tube or casing 1 which may be of any length and diameter. The tubeA 1 is preferablyv contracted at one end to form an inner shoulder 2 and is interiorly threaded at both ends to receive a plug 3 and an adjustable extension comprising members 4 and 5. The member 5 has telescopic connection with the member 4 and each of the members 4 and 5 is provided in its length with a plurality of openings 6 which are adapted to register to receive pins 7 or like fastenings whereby the members are held the required adjusted position. A iiat spring 7 a receives the pins 7 and forms connectin means therefor andalso serves to prevent 'splacement of the fastenings 7 whenplaced in position as shown in Figure use. sum1 in. mais;

' 2. A ama hook s is seed to the outer end of the member 5.

' A draft bar 9 is Slidablewithin thetube A shock absorbing spring 14 1s mounted upon the reduced portion 9* of the draft barandis enclosed within the tube or casing 1.

A collar 15 is mounted on the threaded end of the reduced part 9* of the draft bar. The vcollars 12 and 15 are loosely mounted upon opposite end portions of the reduced part 9 and provide stops to sustain the end thrust of the spring 14. The stop-collar 12 is disposed adjacent the inner end of theplug 3 and the stop-collar 15 is located adjacent the end of the casing 1 provided with the shoulder 2. 'A sleeve 16 is disposed within the tube 1 and abuts the shoulder 2 and sustains the thrust of the spring 14 exerted against the collar15. The end of the reduced portionV 9 of the draft bar bearing the nut 11 is adapted to enter the sleeve 16 when the device is compressed as when backing. The spring 14 is of the open coil type and is of a strength to yield under but give resistance to the force exerted when pulling or backing a vehicle.-

The tow-bar is designed ordinary tow line and is interpose between the vehicle to be towed and the towing vehicle and may becoupled thereto in any preferred way by means of the hitching elements 8 and 13. When'a pulling force is exerted upon the draft bar 9, it moves outward from the`tube or casing 1 so as to compress the spring 14. .Whenj pressure is A' draft eye 13 is iitted tothe outer end of be the bar 9.

'lev

`to re lace the d los with the draft bar The bar provides in effect a rigid conradial openings 3ZL provided in its outer edge portion.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A tow bar comprising a tubular casing having one end portion provided with an internal shoulder, a sleeve loose in' said cas- .i in g and having one end bearing against said shoulder, a plug carried by the other end portion of said casing and formed with a bore extending axially of the casing, a draft bar extending into said casing through said bore and having its portion within the casing and beyond the inner end of said plug reduced in diameter to provide a shoulder a nut threaded upon the inner end of said bar and slidably received in said sleeve, collars fitted looselyl upon said bar within said casing, one collar bearing against said sleeve and the other bearing against the inner end of the plug and theshoulder formed upon said bar, a springcoiled about said draft bar with its ends bearing against said V collars, and means carried by the outer end of said draft bar and the opposite end of said casing for connection one with a vehicle to be towed and the other with a towing vehicle.

2. A tow bar comprising a casing, a draft bar slidable longitudinally in said casing and having one end projecting from one end of the casing, means yieldably resisting longitudinal sliding of the draft bar and. casing relative to each other, an extensible bar having an outer tubular section engaged with the other end of said casing and an inner section slidable longitudinally into and outl of the outer section through the outer end thereof and having lon itudinally spaced openings to register. wit openings in the outer section, pins passed through registering openings in the said sections and each having a vhead at one end, a spring strip extending longitudinally of said outer sec-- tion with its Iintermediate portion spaced therefrom and its end portionsv bearing against thesame and formed with openings receiving' said pins, the extreme ends of the spring strips being rolled back upon themselves and bearin against side edge faces of the heads of said pins, and Imeans carried by the outer end of said draft bar 'and outer end of the inner section of said extensible bar for connection one with a towing vehicle and the other with a vehicle to be towed.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature. 

